Laois PPN welcomed Community Member Groups to the first Laois PPN County Plenary of 2025 recently for an online workshop as part of their Climate Action Project.
John Oxley, Laois PPN Chairperson welcomed the attendees, outlining how Laois PPN supports Community Groups with information on a wide variety of funding opportunities.
The aim of the workshop is empowering Community Groups with the knowledge and skills to successfully secure funding for their Community Projects.
The training on the night was delivered by Ailish Irvine, of Irvine Training, who has extensive experience of providing training to Community Groups across Ireland.
The Laois PPN Budget and Work Plan 2025 were ratified for their three key functions: Community Representation, Training and Capacity Building and as an Information and Network Hub.
It has been a busy period for Laois PPN, who – in collaboration with Portlaoise Tidy Towns – held their ‘Free Native Irish Tree Give Away’ event during National Tree Week 2025 in the Macra na Feirme Hall, Portlaoise.
There was a large attend of over 100 Community Groups from across Laois who were supported with the Free Native Irish Tree Giveaway.
The planting of these trees will benefit Community Groups and future generations for years to come, combating climate change, promoting biodiversity and enhancing the county’s landscape.
Brian Gaynor from ‘Trees on the Land’ was there to give expert advice on the tree species available, some of which included Alder, Birch, Oak, Hazel and Irish Heritage Apple Trees.
Young people had the opportunity to get creative in the ‘Arts and Crafts’ space, where beautiful pictures of trees were drawn with real acorns stuck to them, giving a wonderful 3D effect.
Vincent Booth of Portlaoise Tidy Towns said: “It is gratifying to see so many Community Groups attend to collect a Free Native Irish Tree to plant in their garden or Community.
“There are many benefits to tree planting including improving air quality, providing habitat for wildlife, combat climate change and enhancing the beauty of our local landscape.”
